[Rawr]

So, how many of your have scared yourself in it yet? How many have got the confidence to ability ratio favouring the confidence?

I want to hear about snap-oversteer, ABS cutting in and, wherever possible, great big leary slides with a severe tightening of the sphincter.

Off you go...

 

[zvezdah1]

The scariest I"ve gotten was signing the financing on this beast

Although heading up to the dragon a few weeks back in N. GA mountains the pucker factor index was off the scale a couple times
Chris

 

[MattG]

Twice now I've hit a small bump mid-corner and the car shifted to the outside of the corner a little. As I usually use all of the road and end up near the edge at the corner exit, this has led me very, very close to running off the road. One person suggested my alignment may be out. Or is this just normal?

 

[JonOrangeElise]

Alignment out already?

Maybe we can discuss alignment issues at the SVAG tech day.

 

[agent orange]

im far from a "great" driver when it comes to racing stuff - but i've definitely found the car gets a bit ass clinching when you take a turn hard and hit a few bumps int he road - it jolts pretty good and tends to let the bumps dictate where the car starts going...

i beat up on a supra last night on storrow drive in MA and on one sharp turn the road got really bumpy and it was definitely a tad freaky

 

[doma]

>So, how many of your have scared yourself in it yet?

Scariest moment was fiddling with the radio then looking up and seeing myself streaking toward the stopped rear end of another Elise on a group ride. I punched the breaks and stopped in time ... ABS didn't even kick in but man that would have SUCKED! Wrecking two elises at once would have been psyche altering.
WTF was I doing screwing with the radio???

eyes on the road
eyes on the road

Every time I recall that vision I get a pang of adrenaline.
-doma

 

[khamai]

>Scariest moment was fiddling with the radio then looking up and seeing myself streaking toward the stopped rear end of another Elise on a group ride.

Was I in front of you??

Kiyoshi

 

[perryeyges]

I was racing a GSXR down highway 1 and got the car completley sideways coming out of a left hander and almost clipped a guardrail
I lifted though right on time and the car flicked back in line just inches from it. The GSXR rider later complimented me on the adjustment (he was right on my as* at the time)

 

[doma]

>Was I in front of you??

My target shall remain nameless

On another note, I remember getting spooked going into one of the turns on 84 that was sharper then I expected ... but midway through I figgured that as long as the elise in front of me could stick to the road then so could I!

-doma

 

[khamai]

>My target shall remain nameless

LOL

 

[Thomas Praetzel]

Was driving to Wailuku yesterday, and its pissing down rain big time. I don't know how well the new A048 tires grip in the rain, so I was in the right hand lane, small run until it goes back into just two lanes, right next to a County of Maui dump truck. He suddenly decided to take the right lane, that was almost it for me and the Elise. Road was soaked, tires wet, I stomped on it and the damned rev limiter kicked in. Came within a few feet of being in the cane fields, but got around him.

Aloha,
Tomas Praetzel

 

[Need4Speed]

Was driving to Wailuku yesterday, and its pissing down rain big time. I don't know how well the new A048 tires grip in the rain, so I was in the right hand lane, small run until it goes back into just two lanes, right next to a County of Maui dump truck. He suddenly decided to take the right lane, that was almost it for me and the Elise. Road was soaked, tires wet, I stomped on it and the damned rev limiter kicked in. Came within a few feet of being in the cane fields, but got around him.

Aloha,
Tomas Praetzel

Sounds like you would've made brown sugar...

 

[NtflBlueLiz]

Was driving to Wailuku yesterday, and its pissing down rain big time. I don't know how well the new A048 tires grip in the rain, so I was in the right hand lane, small run until it goes back into just two lanes, right next to a County of Maui dump truck. He suddenly decided to take the right lane, that was almost it for me and the Elise. Road was soaked, tires wet, I stomped on it and the damned rev limiter kicked in. Came within a few feet of being in the cane fields, but got around him.

Aloha,
Tomas Praetzel

Thomas, now that you got your car I must recommend that you go back and read the countless threads about defensive and evasive maneuvers for the Elise. Trucks can't see you! never ride next to one on any road!

 

[eliseowner2b]

On the street I can only remember one time at the Dragon's Tail where I was on the edge of grip and had to track out a little too close to the edge of the road. I stayed at 1/2 throttle and just committed to the turn. The back end wiggled a little and I definitely bit my teeth together a little. I have it on video but it doesn't seem as gut wrenching as the real thing. I slowed my pace a little after that.

On the track I scared myself one time. Unfortunately, it was the first freaking lap out (in the wet). Turn 5 at Road Atlanta on cold tires (A048's) in the wet and I spun it. I was driving at about 5/10's and really taking it easy. I didn't track out to the curbing as I should have and wham, that car just snapped left. I put the clutch and brakes to the floor and kept the car on the pavement. After spinning about 220 degrees I got the car straight and went on without incident. It really shocked me and I know it affected my driving for a while because I really didn't want to have another incident with the car. There's just too many walls with black skid marks leading up to them to not slow the pace a little.

What did I learn? These tires really need to be warmed up properly before picking up the pace, especially in the wet.

Oh, I had the biggest possum I've ever seen run out in front of me at night on the highway. I was returned from the Dragon's Tail with my girlfriend after leaving Randy to his eliseroadtrip.com. I just twitched my wrists and barely avoided him. To the car, this was no problem, but the idea of hitting any animal in this car is quite a soiling thought. There are a lot of deer where I live so I take things more carefully at night.

 

[ron dargenio]

So, how many of your have scared yourself in it yet? How many have got the confidence to ability ratio favouring the confidence?

I want to hear about snap-oversteer, ABS cutting in and, wherever possible, great big leary slides with a severe tightening of the sphincter.

Off you go...

I got a real scare the other night, but not in the Elise. Having sold my Ferrari 355 two days prior, the new owner, in his second day of ownership, spun the car and was rear-ended by an oncoming sedan. No one seriously hurt, but 355 was totalled (I think).

Made me a conservative driver on my favorite road yesterday.
Ron

 

[raggedy1]

I was racing a GSXR down highway 1 and got the car completley sideways coming out of a left hander and almost clipped a guardrail
I lifted though right on time and the car flicked back in line just inches from it. The GSXR rider later complimented me on the adjustment (he was right on my as* at the time)

Perry, if you came close to "eating it" in that turn, I'm sure plenty of others would not have been able to save it. From what I heard from my buddy Bobby when he rode with you, you are quite a skilled driver. Bobby told me about the 5 foot slide you performed accelerating out of that sharp right hander (this after decelerating from 65mph to enter).

I haven't had the chance to download the pics yet. stand by!

 

[TripleBlack_NJ]

I was taking an right entrance ramp in the rain at about 8/10s. I was at 2/3 throttle, with 4k on the tach in 2nd on the way out. The the turn was pretty much over and the car was pretty much staight.

Then wham, I'm instantly pointing a good 30 deg right, I thought for sure I was going to spin. I instinctively counter-steered and backed off the throttle a little. Saved it.

It was amazing how sideways the car was in so little time. It was also amazing how fast I could recovered after I was sure I was going around. It was so fast , if the driver behind me blinked they missed the whole thing.

There was definitely no time to think. I have driven mid-engine cars exclusively as my daily driver for 10yrs. That's the only thing that saved me. Take it easy in the rain especially on the AO48s.

 

[adamant]

So, how many of your have scared yourself in it yet? How many have got the confidence to ability ratio favouring the confidence?

I want to hear about snap-oversteer, ABS cutting in and, wherever possible, great big leary slides with a severe tightening of the sphincter.

Off you go...

LOL Shouldn't you be at SELOC mate, winding everyone up over there

I did get a suprise Friday though, driving the empty local canyons. Driving in a spirited manner crested on a blind turn to find that the shaded steep downside had not been cleared of snow. I can say that I heard all 4 wheels ABS very clearly. There is a fair drop off on one side of the road. I can also add that the A048's work surpisingly well in reverse on snow and ice!

 

[Surferjer]

1) 85 MPH (the limit, BTW) about 3/4 of the way around a donut on ramp. The ass came around, and it was a handful trying to recover and stay on the road. Mission was accomplished, though.

2) Old lady crosses the road in front of me and STOPS when she sees me coming, blocking the entire road in her tank. At 60 MPH, I combined hard brakes/power sliding to sweep behind her only to find myself facing another truck head on. A quick dip to the shoulder (facing the wrong way) and I was safely around and stopped. I needed a spoon that time.

3) Deer clipping my mirror. Thought my car was going to be totaled, but I actually raced the deer and nearly completely beat it.

I've had my fill for a while. I'm in need of peaceful racing and peaceful driving.

 

[Stan]

>>>Deer clipping my mirror. Thought my car was going to be totaled, but I actually raced the deer and nearly completely beat it. <<<

So...when the deer was spotted crossing the road...you floored it?